AMALFI - AMALFI COAST
campania
At the mouth of Valle dei Mulini (Mills' Valley), Amalfi overlooks the sea with its characteristic set of white houses on the rocks, narrow streets among arches, ancient towers to guard the town. Amalfi is a very picturesque town, characterized by enchanting panoramic views and cliffs rising sheer from the sea: a real Eden with a gentle climate, delightful beaches, buildings clinging to the rocky slope. The architectural value of its monuments, the beauty of the landscape and of the seaside, its traditions and food have made it an incomparable place, so that Renato Fucini said: "when people from Amalfi will go to Paradise, it will be for them an ordinary day". The most reliable legend about the origins of Amalfi tells the epic adventure of a group of Roman families who, under the Empire of Constantine, decided to leave from Ravenna and move to Constantinople (the actual Istanbul) but they were caught in a storm and obliged to take refuge on the Dalmatia coast. They interpreted what happened as an ill omen, so they changed their course and steered towards the Tyrrhenian Sea, where they founded a small village near the actual Palinuro, named Melphe. From there they continued to explore the nearest places and found a sheltered location with plenty of fresh water, where they decide to settle a colony: the village of people who came from Melphe, "a Melphe" in latin, the future Amalfi. After the fall of Roman Empire, Amalfi was the first town to established commercial relations with the Eastern Roman Empire, carrying and selling in the whole Southern Italy many exotic and luxury goods as carpets, silk, spices, paper. So Amalfi was the first among the Four Maritime Republics and reached its top during the X and XI centuries, with merchant colonies in the main harbours of the Mediterranean Sea: Byzantium, Alexandria, Beirut, Cyprus. The Maritime Laws of the city, explaned in the famous "Tabula Amalphitana" (Amalfi's Board), were for centuries the international mercantile code accepted and taken as model.
In the XII century, after the Norman conquest, Amalfi lost its importance in the Mediterranean commerce and had to be content with a modest local role. The new dynasties ruling over Naples and the Southern Italy will have been supported in their conquests by other Maritime Republics (first Pisa and then Genoa) that will receive in exchange the monopoly of the international commerce. After a long period of decadance, in the XIX century Amalfi was rediscovered as a touristic and cultural destination by many foreign travellers, thanks to the new Romantic sensibility: so its landscapes, monuments, scenes of daily life, became cause of inspiration for painters, architects, writers coming from all part of Europe. From its prestigious past Amalfi keeps some important testimonies: on the cliff there is the former Monastery of Benedictine nuns, founded in the X century and turned into cemetary in the XIX century. At the entrance to the town there is the beautiful "Torre di San Francesco" (St. Francis' Tower) today called "Saracena" and upside is the ancient convent founded by St. Francis himself in 1222. Suppressed during the French Decade, it keeps a precious cloister. Annexed to the convent is the church of Sant'Antonio beautiful building right over the sea: with single nave, in the crypt there are some valuable frescos from XIII century. At the beginning of "Viale delle Regioni" (Regions' Promenade) there is the wonderful panel in ceramics by Cossa, monument for the achievements of Amalfi. Inside the Town Hall, a palace from the XVI century and formerly a monastery, are exhibited some remarkable antiques: the ancient coins (tarì), some nautical instruments, among which the compass (by tradition invented by Flavio Gioia from Amalfi); a rare copy of the Tabule Amalphitane (Amalfi's Laws); the ancient banner and the clothes for the Historical Regatta, a contest among the rawing boats from the Four Ancient Maritime Republics.
The heart of the town, adorned with the prestigious "Fontana del Popolo" (People's Fountain) copy of the original one taken by a tempest, is overhung by the imposing stairway of the Cathedral of Sant'Andrea. It was built in IX century and received many restorations during following centuries which modified its original structure. The actual facade is the result of a Neogothic intervention done in the XIX century. Beside is the bell tower, not aligned with the church, in a discrete state of maintainance. The interior of the church is in baroque style, with plenty of plychrome marbles, silver manufats and precious paintings. Spectacular is the wooden coffered ceiling decorated with gold and richly painted. A narrow marble staircase leads to the crypt from XIII century, with two cross-vaulted naves richly decorated. On the altar there is the imposive bronze statue of St. Andrew, under which is the precious urn that keeps the venerated relics of the Patron Saint. From the Cathedral we get into the ancient Basilica of Crucifix, the former Cathedral of Amalfi, which keeps inestimable frescos from XIV century among the imposing columns. Nowadays is seat for conferences, congresses and concerts. It hosts also the treasure of Amalfi Diocese.
From the Cathedral's steps, crossing the square and then a pictoresque archade, we arrive to the remains of ancient arsenals of the republic, consisting of two large pointed arches. The building is on a small square where there were also the merchants' stores (called Fondaci) and the Customs. Going on there is the suggestive "Piazza dei Dogi" (Dukes' Square) and from there, through sheer steps, to the ancient district of Vagliendola. Here was the western gate of the town (named Vallenula) and still nowadays is the church of San Biagio, once property of Montecassino Abbey. Then there is the ancient Convent of Cappuccini from 1212. Part of the building has been destroyed by landslides, however have been saved the beautiful cloister of the XIII century and the wonderful loggia with pergola from where you can enjoy a magnificient panorama. You can't forget to visit the renowned "Valle dei Mulini" (Mills' Valley), considered by the Romantic travellers one of the most beautiful places in the world. Along the river Chiarito they were built many factories: iron, paper, furnaces, ceramics all powered by mills. A scenery portrayed by many Romantic painter, especially from Germany. An unique and precious treasure is the Museum of Paper from Amalfi, organized in the old paper factory Milano: there we can admire the medieval machineries for paper production, escaped to the abandon and still working.
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